This invention relates to systems and methods for processing and collecting blood, blood constituents, or other suspensions of cellular material.
Today people routinely separate whole blood, usually by centrifugation, into its various therapeutic components, such as red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
Conventional blood processing methods use durable centrifuge equipment in association with single use, sterile processing systems, typically made of plastic. The operator loads the disposable systems upon the centrifuge before processing and removes them afterwards.
Conventional blood centrifuges are of a size that does not permit easy transport between collection sites. Furthermore, loading and unloading operations can sometimes be time consuming and tedious.
In addition, a need exists for further improved systems and methods for collecting blood components in a way that lends itself to use in high volume, on line blood collection environments, where higher yields of critically needed cellular blood components, like plasma, red blood cells, and platelets, can be realized in reasonable short processing times.
The operational and performance demands upon such fluid processing systems become more complex and sophisticated, even as the demand for smaller and more portable systems intensifies. The need therefore exists for automated blood processing controllers that can gather and generate more detailed information and control signals to aid the operator in maximizing processing and separation efficiencies.
The invention provides systems and methods for processing blood and blood constituents that lend themselves to portable, flexible processing platforms equipped with straightforward and accurate control functions. One aspect of the invention provides a blood processing system comprising a blood processing set and a blood processing device.
The blood processing set includes a donor flow channel to convey blood from a donor. The set also includes a blood processing flow channel including a blood separation chamber to centrifugally separate blood cells from donor whole blood. The set further includes a blood component collection flow channel including a blood cell storage container and an in-line filter to remove leukocytes from the blood cells before entering the blood cell storage container. The in-line filter includes a flexible housing that encloses a filter medium.
The blood processing device includes a pump station adapted to be placed into communication with the donor flow channel, the blood processing flow channel, and the blood component collection flow channel. The device also includes a centrifuge station adapted to support the blood separation chamber and to rotate the blood separation chamber. The device further includes a controller to operate the pump station in multiple modes. One mode is a processing mode, during which the pump station is operated to convey whole blood in the donor flow channel into the blood processing flow channel for separation of the blood cells in the blood separation chamber. Another mode is a collection mode, during which the pump station is operated to convey at least some of the blood cells in the blood processing flow channel into the blood component collection flow channel for on-line removal of leukocytes and collection in the blood cell storage container.
The system also includes a fixture to restrain expansion of the filter housing during operation of the pump station in the collection mode. The fixture includes a bracket to enable releasable attachment of the fixture to the blood processing device.
Other features and advantages of the inventions are set forth in the following specification and attached drawings.